Water cooperation was the theme of this year’s World Water Day. There is a higher need to access of water and security of water resources especially with the estimated population increase which suggests that by 2050 there will be 9 billion people in the world. Thus, dependency on water will continue to be a major source of concern, especially when taking into account that each individual holds the power to affect others’ access to clean water because each individual can pollute and/or waste water.

Some concerns and challenges include that water is needed in every aspect of life; for example, the growth of the agricultural industry and service sectors depend on access and availability of water. However, in addition to maintaining the availability of water, there is also a need to decrease pressure on the excess disposal of water, especially for economic development. Water should be used in relation to its “biophysical limit.” Water also faces the threat of “commercialisation,” where water markets dictate that access to clean and safe water depends on the ability to pay for it. Thus, there should be a push for more water rights for poor communities.

Hence, water cooperation would lead to many benefits: “social harmony in water allocation and increasing human welfare.” Cooperation can prevent conflicts and competition over water access, can promote water use efficiency and better water management. Cooperation can occur between municipalities and private providers in order to “stimulate resource mobilisation.” Also, industry and government must cooperate to efficiently mobilise finances for water projects.

Water cooperation calls for an “inclusive and innovative approach.” The main goal is to sustain the growing population, preserve water availability and access, promote peace and security and mutual respect, and ultimately maintain economic growth. After all, water is truly the elixir of life.

It’s been one year since former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the start of the U.S. Water Partnership. The partnership consists of public and private sectors and “unites and mobilizes U.S. expertise, resources, and ingenuity to address water challenges around the globe.”

According to the fact sheet, “The USWP is an alliance of 18 U.S. government agencies and 29 U.S. private sector and civil society organizations.” However, the USWP has increased from 47 to 61 partnerships in the last year. They work together to improve water resources worldwide and focus primarily on developing countries.

The partners pledged $610 million dollars on June 20, 2012. Funded projects included: control or elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases, increased solar power pump stations, and improved desalination projects.

The success of the USWP depends on collaboration and flexibility. Partners are able to work in groups or individually. For example, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation revitalized water purification systems throughout Ghana by providing funds for the Ghana National Water Infrastructure Modernization Project. World Vision helped boost rural and semi-urban schools in India through the “Support My School” campaign, whereas multiple organizations joined forces to provide WASH technologies. These technologies decrease infection and increase public health.

Hattie Babbitt, Chair of the USWP Steering Committee, led the USWP first anniversary event at the National Academy of Sciences on Mar. 21, 2013. She discussed the numerous projects that could not have occurred without the help of the partnership and congratulated the ten new partners. The USWP continues to grow and progress and strives to bring each person safe drinking water.

Out of the 2.1 million residents of Homs, 600,000 have been displaced by the Syrian conflict. This number, roughly 28%, is expected to increase as the violence continues. To help the people in need UNICEF has responded to the need of children in Syria in three big ways.

3. Establishing Remedial Classes in Neighborhood Shelters
UNICEF has established makeshift classrooms in housing complexes around the Al Wa’ar neighborhood which is where many displaced families have taken shelter. According to UNICEF, 20% of schools in Syria have been destroyed completely, damaged, or are being used to shelter internally displaced people. This has left many children without education for the past two years.

2. Vaccinating Children Against Common Diseases
UNICEF has also begun a vaccination campaign to prevent outbreak of common diseases such as measles, rubella, mumps and polio. This campaign is being enacted through schools and displaced family shelters and is predicted to help 2.5 million children.

1. Upgrading Water Systems
As summer rolls into the Middle East, clean water and up-to-date water treatment facilities become a pressing necessity. In the aftermath of the conflict, many neighborhoods are littered with debris and garbage which pose a threat to children in Syria. UNICEF is supporting an upgrade of sanitation and water treatment facilities that will aid people as the extreme heat of summer arrives.

The Syrian civil war began on March 15, 2011 and has since left roughly 6 million Syrians in need of aid and 4 million people internally displaced. Due to these high numbers, many observers are concerned that, if the war drags on, this current generation of young people will become a lost generation.

Get Water is a touch-screen game with the objective of helping Maya collect clean water for her family. On the surface, players are swiping their fingers across the screen, shooting boomerangs at peacocks, and dodging turtles. But the true spirit of the game lies in its ability to literally put the discussion on issues of water scarcity in your hands.

The main character is Maya, a young girl who wants to go to school but can’t because the need for clean water for her family is more urgent. Players collect clean water and avoid touching dirty water, running through a village until a peacock, turtle or football breaks their pot. Rather than trade in coins or cash, players trade in pencils symbolizing education for abilities such as Hyper Hydration, Fancy Filter, and Purification Tablets. The game is not just a testament to the need for access to clean water; it also compels us to ask questions concerning human rights and social justice issues, education and gender rights. Through our phones and devices, we get a glimpse into the life of those who are without access to clean water.

Get Water is the first game made by Decode Global, a Montreal based startup founded last year by Angelique Manella. Manealla’s goal with Get Water was to develop a fun and engaging game that would spread awareness on social issues and prompt global change.

On 22nd March, the World Water Day, some of us at The Borgen Project HQs in Seattle, took to the streets to raise awareness about the scarcity of clean water around the world.

Healthy lives with access to clean water is the motto of the World Water Day.

As we distributed free water bottles, we informed people about the 800 million people who don’t have access to clean water in the developing world.

Some people stopped to listen – and that’s what we enjoyed most.

The more people pay attention to the global issues we at The Borgen Project campaign for, the more importance these issues get and chances improve of them being addressed at the political level, internationally.

About 900 million people around the world do not have access to clean water. Yet, here in the United States, safe and clean water costs between $2 to $3. Dan Flynn embarked on a journey where he put together two radicals and created Thankyou Water in 2008. Profits from Thankyou Water water bottle sales are directed to fund various safe water projects; a purchase equates to “one month’s worth of safe water to someone in need.”

Flynn discovered that many people around the world not only lack access to water, but also that water is usually unsafe and unsanitary to drink to the point that it may cause serious illness. Flynn also found that Australians are a part of a 600 million dollar bottled water industry. Flynn’s project to tackle the global Water Crisis gives all its profit to fund safe water projects all around the world.

For over three years, Flynn and four other college students, volunteered and managed part-time jobs to cover their costs of living. This year marks the enterprise’s fourth year and the project is showing expansive growth. In December of 2012, Thankyou Water sold its five millionth bottle. Australians are increasingly supporting this project and have switched to Thankyou Water making it their new bottled water brand of purchase. Australians can “track [their] impact” through a newly developed web app where they can see which specific project is being funded by their purchase.

In honor of the World Water Day, March 22nd, the Thirsting for Justice Campaign has called for solidarity with the Palestinian people and children who lack sufficient clean and safe water. The campaign suggests to all supporters to organize “community teach-ins” to gain factual insight and spread awareness regarding the Palestinians’ challenges under Israeli occupation, specifically their challenges when trying to access clean water since water supply is controlled by the Israeli army. The teach-ins would also push for discussion on the courses of action that must be taken to achieve Palestinian water rights.

As a Thirsting for Justice initiative, along with the Jenin Freedom Theater, “hundreds of Palestinians and internationals in the West Bank” occupied the Jordan Valley and walked leaving their footmarks on this global Water Day; the West Bank demands to be heard and is taking action through its people’s “walk for water justice.”

As the UN marks another annual World Water Day, all eyes were focused on Shanghai as the number of dead pigs dragged from rivers that supply the city with water was upped to nearly 16,000 within the last two weeks. Although Chinese officials claim that the incident is not related to water toxicity, the international community has become increasingly concerned as new reports claim that water contamination is the leading cause of illness in the country.

Last week, UNICEF released an alarming study that claims 90 percent of child deaths throughout China were related to bad hygiene and sanitation, and diarrheal disease through polluted water sources. An additional study done by Greenpeace East Asia corroborates these figures and also states that nearly 25 percent of the population has no source of safe drinking water, and an additional 190 million people who are forced to drink from contaminated sources.

Adding to concern is the annual water outlook study by OECD that states demand for water will rise by 55 percent within the next 37 years, while depletion of groundwater sources continues to occur, which the study says will become a major issue for certain regions within the next 10 to 20 years.

Although water access and contamination is slated to reach crisis levels throughout much of the developing world within the next few decades, governments have done relatively little to tackle this issue, with more focusing heavily on energy development and putting water sanitation to the side.

Buy one get one free, limited time sales, 20% off; these are all common sales terms that we see everyday. Promotions, something to give a customer that extra incentive to purchase a product, simple sales strategies. Well, what if that promotion involved saving lives? Drop 4 Drop is doing just that.

Drop 4 Drop is a non-profit that teams up with businesses and individuals to help balance their water use by creating innovative business offers. One example is the upcoming promotion that has been organized between Drop 4 Drop and Airconergy. March 22nd was International World Water Day, a United Nations created day, that encourages people to focus on the importance of fresh drinking water and water security in the world.

Airconergy has pledged that they will give the funds needed to build a new freshwater well for every 100 of their HVAC chips that they sell that day. Each well would be able to provide water for an estimated 2,000 people. Conscience marketing has been done before, and it is huge. Fair trade product like coffee and jewels are good examples, but this sort of promotion takes that one step further. Some may say that this sort of “promotion” is simply good advertising and business savvy. Granted that it may not be the exactly the same thing as simply building a number of wells, but it is a fantastic move within the for-profit world to help people living in severe poverty. So, if you need any HVAC chips…

Friday, March 22, 2013 is World Water Day. This year’s World Water Day is especially important because the UN has designated 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation. Those new to water rights issues may wonder: what is water cooperation? Why have a year dedicated to water cooperation? This post will address some of the most important points about international water cooperation.

According to UN-Water:

1. The International Year of Water Cooperation aims to: raise awareness of water cooperation, initiate innovative action toward water cooperation, foster dialogue about water as a top international priority, and address water-related development goals for beyond 2015, when the Millennium Development Goals expire.

2. Water cooperation is: cooperation between all parties involved in water management. If one party does not cooperate, efficiency of water management decreases, to the detriment of human lives. Water cooperation happens on local, national, and international levels. Vital water sources such as rivers and ground water extend across political boundaries; cooperation is needed to share these resources. Building a village well or pumping water for irrigation requires the cooperation of separate parties, often with conflicting interests.

3. Water cooperation is essential because: without water cooperation, progress is impossible in other areas of human development such as food security, gender equality, and poverty reduction. Improving water access is key to reducing poverty, especially for women and children. Water cooperation creates economic benefits, and is necessary for preserving and protecting the natural environment. Life on earth depends on water; we are responsible for managing it sustainably and effectively.

4. Challenges to water cooperation are: reaching across social, political, and economic boundaries. Those involved in water management and policy-making must work with a broad range of stakeholders, local residents, governments, and NGOs. In these situations, cooperation and cultural understanding are essential for effective communication and decision-making. Water cooperation is further complicated by the increasing water needs of a growing population. Urbanization, pollution and climate change continue to threaten water resources, placing them under even greater pressure.

5. There are endless ways you can get involved with water cooperation efforts: educate yourself and others about water rights, impediments to water access, and water cooperation efforts. Engage others in your community to advocate for sustainable water management. Click here for more about how to get involved in World Water Day and the International Year of Water Cooperation!